Who Are You People?
by Jasmine Scarthing
Summary: One day, Annie has had enough of all the cynicism and negativity in her town. Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Chapter 1

**Annie's POV-August 3rd, 2005**

"Crane is forever detained in Arkham, and Ra's is dead. The city is safe," a man proclaimed. I clapped enthusiastically.

Too bad Bruce and I were the only one. Everybody else started protesting loudly.

"How are we safe? That stupid bat-freak was the one who brought out Crane in the first place!" some guy called.

"Yeah, we still have problems! And we need cops, not vigilantes!" a woman called.

They still had problems? Batman saved their behinds from getting gassed to death! And they hadn't nearly gotten killed by a sociopath-ahem, Rochelle.

This started loud arguing about socioeconomic classes, race, , cops, and it was all so meaningless that I nearly screamed.

But it wasn't just that. Ever since March 4th, 1993, I had seen Gotham rise, fall, and almost rise when some whiner made it fall-again.

You know what I mean? It was like we always had some sort of problem-we could never be truly happy.

A whole new day was ahead, filled with adventure and happiness, and what were people doing? Bickering! Over complete garbage!

And I was sick of it. I wanted us to be happy. Why was it so difficult?

Why? Why did we people of Gotham carry baggage for their whole lives and never let go, consequently burdening every poor sap around them?

Then I knew what I had to do.

"Excuse me, would anyone else like to continue?" the man at the podium said helplessly.

"I'll continue," I yelled, waving my hand in the air.

He smiled widely. "Annie from the tabloids! Please, come up, if only to spare my ears!" And he left.

I nodded at him, then stormed up the stairs onto the stage, and stopped at the podium.

I felt a bit scared, but it was outweighed by adrenaline. Unlike many in my school, I had always liked public speaking.

I pushed a small stool up to the podium and stood on it to reach the microphone.

"Check, one, two, three, check. Is this thing on?" I muttered into the mic. Yep, it was on.

People argued on as if I didn't exist.

"Are you even listening to me?" My voice got louder.

People still screamed and argued. Then I had had it up to my neck.

* * *

"Who the heck are you people?" I yelled.

The room went silent. I swear I heard a pin drop.

Everyone turned to face me.

I glared back, simmering with rage.

"What is your problem? Correction, what are your problems, you bickering idiots?" I snapped.

"Hey, get off the stage-" a guy started to say.

"_Silence_," I hissed, shutting him up immediately. "I have something important to say, and you bet your boots I'm going to say it."

The entire crowd was quiet, looking at me as if I knew the meaning of life.

My anger was still bubbling inside me.

"Are you guys ever going to shut up?" I felt weary and exasperated. "Are you guys ever going to quit whining about petty things and seize the day? Because I was born in 1993, and for as long as I can remember, Gotham has been in shambles. But not just for the reasons you think."

I clenched my fist. "Sure, there have been poor people. Sure, that idiot Falcone controlled everything for pretty much my entire life. But there's one thing all you morons have been doing that trumps all that by a landslide."

I gulped. "You can't accept anything happy. It's as if whenever something good happens, some idiot always whines about XYZ, and then everything turns corrupt again. That's your problem! You're all cynical pessimists, the whole lot of you. It's no wonder we never had any improvement. A bunch of whining cynics screaming that everything is hopeless certainly doesn't kick-start a city's career."

"Hear, hear!" Bruce Wayne called. I smiled at him, and turned back to everyone else.

"Have you ever thought that using your grown-up adult 'legislation' on anything innocent or hopeful won't produce good results?" I snarled. "Is fear the new trend? Anger the new fad? Is it cool to complain and cry about things that happened years ago so that nothing ever gets done? Honestly, what is this, the year of fear?"

I felt angry tears pool in my eyes. "I honestly can't believe you people! For decades, you've been so busy whining and being negative that it's a wonder anything turned out positive at all. We could save lives, turn things around, but instead, you bicker and divide yourselves even more!" The tears spilled out and rushed down my cheeks. "What is so wrong about smiling and being positive? Huh? What is so atrocious about being ready for a new day and ready to have adventures, to live, to laugh, to love? Why does everything have to be dark and angry? I mean, Batman saved your butts from the fear gas! And when that insane doctor Crane tried to gas everyone, _what _did you do? You whined! Again!"

Then I focused on the younger people. "I want to talk to the kids now. Guys, I know that I'm a kid too and have no business being up here. But it's 2005, the beginning of a new century. You guys have so much ahead of you! With enough doggedness and determination, you can take Gotham and turn it upside-down...for the better. I know you guys can do it."

I turned back to the adults. "You could learn something from kids. All you see is death and fear and anger and destruction. Children see life, bravery, happiness, and new beginnings. Maybe actually learning to be a little more optimistic would work wonders for you."

I wiped my tears off my cheeks. "Sure, you negative people might talk about how much smarter you are than a dumb optimist like me, but realky? Will you really gain anything from assuming that life sucks and everybody is out to get you while simultaneously betraying people and having a bad attitude? Yeah, sure, goodbye to making a friend because she'll obviously dump you. Forget about that cute, sweet girl who loves you; it's all just a game so she can get your money, isn't it? Do you realize how illogical and stupid you sound? Let go. Let go of your baggage already. It's gone. It won't happen again. I'd like to conclude on this note-you can shield yourself all you want, but you'll only be huddling out the good things in the process. Thank you." I curtsied.

* * *

I saw a guy stand up. Mason!

"She's right," he declared, and started clapping slowly.

"Hear, hear!" Bruce shouted, and joined in. Soon everybody was clapping.

* * *

**The next day..**

* * *

Bruce's POV

Bruce was calmly reading the newspaper when a headline jumped out at him.

"Huh?" He looked closely.

"**THIS GIRL'S GOT GAME!**" the headline screamed, with a picture of Annie passionately making her speech at that podium.

"Yesterday on August 3rd, 2005, Bruce Wayne's ward, Annie Gaylewood, proved that she's much more than a pretty face when she slammed the 'cynics' and 'negative people' of Gotham in her completely improvised speech," the article read.

Bruce smiled. Smart kid. She said what she felt, with no qualms. Just like Rachel.

"Annie!" he called. "Come see! You're in the news!"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you serious?" Annie called.

"Yes, sweetheart!" Bruce called back jokingly.

He heard her gasp and also a loud _clunk_ sound. He was pretty sure she had swooned. "You called me sweetheart...you wonderful honey bear, you! I'm coming!"

Honey bear? This was bizarre to say the least.

Annie ran into the room and plopped down next to him, peering at the paper. "I've got game! How cool! Whoever wrote this seriously deserves candy."

"And a honey bear," Bruce muttered. Annie laughed.

Then somebody knocked on the door.

Annie stood up to get it. "Hey! Who are you guys?"

Bruce looked to see a mob of reporters shoving microphones into her face and writing in notepads.

Annie looked to him for help, but he mouthed _you're on your own_.

"So, Miss Gaylewood, how did you say such a beautiful speech? You weren't looking at any notes," a reporter blurted.

Looking a bit more relaxed, Annie smiled and answered, "I just said what I had been feeling for twelve years. It just flowed out."

"So it was completely improvised?" The reporter was shocked.

"Pretty much," she answered.

He scribbled in his notepad and kept asking her questions.

About an hour later, the paparazzi finally left. Annie came back and sat on the couch.

"I kind of liked being interviewed," she said. "I don't know why."

Then a smoky smell came from the kitchen.

"Damn that burnt toast," Bruce muttered. He stood up to get to it.

"Yeah," Annie replied. "Darn that toast." She giggled.

* * *

That night...

Annie's POV

I raced through the night as Catgirl, when a voice called out to me.

"Kid."

Selina Kyle! I whirled to see her in all her glory, complete with the catsuit.

"I saw your speech in the news," she said crisply. "And I want to say that you were completely off the mark."

Was she serious? I'd done well! I'd owned them!

"You basically said that anyone who isn't constantly perky is a horrible, negative cynic," she said evenly. "I've been on the streets longer than you've been alive, and I know the difference between a bitter negative person and a skeptical realist. You don't."

"Um..." I was speechless.

"There are people who want to be happy, but the city won't let them." Her voice raised. "Such as me. I want to wake up and be ready for a new day, but I can't because I know it'll always be horrible."

"Why?" I blurted. "There's no law that says every day has to be the same."

She gave me a smile that said _you're hopeless_. "Yeah, but rules are made to be broken."

And she left.


End file.
